"Holding Hands"
Madeleine LeClerc and Dessert First
Tuesday June 28th Challeng Painting
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| "Holding Hands" Dessert First (Desi( and Madeleine LeClerc 7 by 10 inch watercolor by Linda L Martin |
Madeleine LeClerc and Dessert First (Desi) are training for the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth Texas this September 15th through 17th. Having a wild horse trust you enough to pick up its back feet is an amazing milestone in horse care. Being able to clean the hoofs and make the horse reliable and safe for hoof care in one of many aspects of basic horse care and handling that the SEMM trainers must accomplish in their training programs.
Handling of the back hooves is even more significant in a horse that has grown up in the wild and has never been imprinted by contact with humans. The back legs, especially in mares are used to kick in order to protect, show dominance and to defend when flight options are exhausted and are the first defence if the horse feels its legs are entrapped.
Many people, usually because of Hollywood move stereotypes believe that wild horses rear and charge and act aggressively toward people as a general rule. However rearing is generally used between stallions when posturing or to gain a height advantage when fighting for mares. On occasion all horses at sometime will rear at play or in addition to bucking when they have been attacked by a predator from above. Sometimes also a horse will strike out with a front foot to show dominance and defend territory. The fact that a horse uses its hooves for a variety of self defense and self preservation actions makes it doubly important for trainers to take extra care in teaching horses to yield their feet.
For the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover this year Madeleine LeClerc and Robert Carlson will are training 3 Mustangs for the September competition and adoption auction. You can follow their R&M Mustang Program on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/rmmustangprogram
Special Thank you to Amy Spivey of Lightning Bug Creek Photography for the use of the reference photos. You can visit her work on Facebook as well : http://www.facebook.com/#!/LBCPhotography
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